What Is Rapid Tooling
Rapid tooling is a process when traditional tooling and rapid prototyping techniques are combined using to build a mold fast. Compared to traditional manufacturing, rapid tooling process is a cheap and fast way to build parts of a model from CAD data. Rapid tooling is also a way to build injection molded parts.
Injection Molding is used in rapid prototyping and high volume manufacturing. Injection molding is used to rapid manufacturing parts in thousands units. Application examples for injection molding include bottle caps, medical syringes and more.
Injection molding process consists of injection molding machines, raw plastic materials and machined molds. Injection molding is a process that raw plastic melt in the injection molding machines and inject into the mold. Then, it cools and solidifies to get the desired parts. When the part is cooled, it is released and completed.
Rapid tooling offers many advantages. Compared to other manufacturing processes, rapid tooling has more output. And a wide range of materials are available in rapid tooling. Most thermoplastic and silicone could be used in injection molding process. With rapid tooling, processes can be reduced. Complicated assembly processes could be consolidated into a single process. Rapid tooling is repeatability. Injection molds are able to manufacture a large number of parts without wearing out.
There are various materials available inRapid Tooling like nylon, PP, PA6, PA12, HDPE, LDPE, POM and ABS. Nylon has great mechanical properties and high chemical abrasion resistance. PP is the most common material used in injection molding process. PP has good chemical resistance and is is available in food grade. PA6 has a high degree of toughness and good surface finish. PA12 has low moisture absorption, high dimensional strength and flexibility. HDPE has a high strength-to-density ratio and impact resistance. LDPE is flexible and lightweight. POM is high temperature resistant, chemical resistant and dimensional stable. ABS is high impact resistant and low density and cheap.
Rapid tooling is a cheap, fast and effective way to get parts to market fast. It is a suitable choice for lower volume production runs. For more information about rapid tooling, please contactTEAM Rapid at [email protected]. Our team of experts are ready to guide you through the best options for your unique projects.
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